What made Singapore tick: Soft options and hard rules

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Mr Lee did not have second thoughts on the appropriateness of measures taken to encourage people's behaviour. "I am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens... I say without the slightest remorse that we would not be here today, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not intervened on very personal matters - who your neighbour is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use."

When in 2000, the BBC criticised Singapore's ban on chewing gum because it may take a toll on creativity, Mr Lee retorted: "If you can't think because you can't chew, try a banana!"

Qn: To what extent should the state interfere in the life of its citizens?